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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26962693">My path</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/astracrits/pseuds/astracrits'>astracrits</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, Ingrid centric, slight mentions of Dedue, slight mentions of Dimitri, slight mentions of Sylvain</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 19:49:29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,059</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26962693</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/astracrits/pseuds/astracrits</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After hurtful comments from people, Ingrid questions if she really is made to be a knight or not.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>My path</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Have you ever felt the impotence of not being able to prove your worth? That people think you’re not up to some task or that you’re not strong enough? The feeling sucks always, no matter in which context that is said to you.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For Ingrid, such was the case.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>You’ll never become a knight, you’re so weak!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Tch, a woman knight, yeah, right.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Her skill was unremarkable; she was a fine fighter despite her young age, but people never saw that; all they thought of Ingrid as was a delusional girl that tried to be something she couldn’t. Then there were the sporadic mistakes she made—mistakes everybody made always, but that was everything people ever focused on her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nobody would ever check on someone that much, but Ingrid seemed to be everybody’s center of attention lately. It was stupid, it made her feel frustrated that despite her being an excellent fighter and a good soon-to-be-knight, people still considered her like a burden, like someone who shouldn’t be fighting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It hurt the most when it came from her classmates.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I will never understand why you want to be a knight. You know very well what happened to Glenn, why risk your life stupidly like that?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I know makeup would make you look more beautiful. Better than to have blood on your face while in the battlefield, right? I’m sure there’ll be some men that will want you to keep them company!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>A knight? Oh, so you want to be like Catherine, right? I brawled with her the other day and she was so amazing, I doubt you could be like her, Ingrid. You’ve got lots to accomplish!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>She was so sick of it all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ingrid sat on her bed, cover pulled all the way to hide herself entirely. She had her eyes closed and her ears covered by her hands, not wanting to hear the noise of her classmates just outside her door. Ingrid wasn’t in a mood for anybody, nor she wanted to do something outside. Her anger and her sadness was preventing her from leaving her room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ingrid, c’mon, you know Felix didn’t mean that. You’re a great knight!” Sylvain’s hoarse voice could be heard just outside her door, but Ingrid decided not to pay attention to that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>None of her classmate’s insults had affected her before, so why did they matter now? It was silly to even ponder about it, but the more Ingrid wanted to stop thinking, the more the idea stuck in her mind. She knew that she wasn’t a bad fighter, she knew how to obey her teacher’s orders during battle. She had the skills of a knight, she knew it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her fingers touched the soft material as a creeping sensation flooded her mind: what if she really wasn’t cut out for knighthood?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No…” she mumbled, her form curling up into a ball. “Ugh.” The pain in her body shot up, shooting fire into her calf, arm and her abdomen, which then sent electricity throughout her. Ingrid didn’t take the time to go to the infirmary after the battle where she sustained her wounds, she didn’t want to go because it would be embarrassing, it would make her feel worse than she already was and yet she knew she needed to go. A knight needed to take care of their wounds before they got infected, before they did irreparable damage, she knew this by heart.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But alas, she couldn’t get from the bed, not because of her injuries, but because of the impotence. Ingrid rolled to her other side after she turned the pillow. Maybe she could sleep for a while and not have to get out, maybe…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright, I’m sorry, Ingrid. I’ll ask the cooks to have a dish ready for you when you decide to come out, okay? You’re strong.” Sylvain was always too supportive with her, mostly when it was just the two of them, but he was always so kind. “Professor Manuela is in her office too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was silence afterwards, but instead of finding the peace she so desperately needed, a headache was what she got. Her head was pulsing so much that it even started hurting her eyes. She wanted to be done with everything, she didn’t want to hurt at all anymore.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Nevertheless, time seemed to come to a stop, her pain was the only thing that was happening, her only reality. She pressed on her temples, hoping that it would do anything to ease the pain.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a slight moment of fun—maybe craziness, it was ridiculous, but Ingrid decided that she should not be there. She couldn’t stay in that place, letting her headache take control of everything, letting her pain impair her, bound her to the bed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She stood up grunting, clutching her side and trying not to put too much weight on her leg. There was no need to grab anything, she just left as quickly as she could before anybody else could see her and “try” to apologize again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She couldn’t go to the training area because Caspar and Felix would be there. The cafeteria was also not an option with Sylvain, and Dorothea could be anywhere looking for her. The only place remaining for her to have some alone time away from everyone was outside the monastery.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ingrid was moments from grabbing the old, worn-out spear she always used to take with her whenever she trained, but not this time. Her hands brushed against the bone fragment of Lúin, feeling the power emanating from it as she then gripped the handle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yes, she was a strong woman, a strong knight. The fact that she was able to handle Lúin’s power was enough proof of her conviction, decisiveness and strength.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She left her room with stealthy feet, hoping none of the people in the noble’s quarters would hear her walk away nor see her leaving the monastery. She went down the stairs and hugged the wall to look for any people coming from the other side of the building, there wasn’t anybody. Ingrid chuckled as she limp-ran through the halls to leave.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a quick hi to the merchant, Anna, she finally left the premises of the monastery. It was nice to feel the breeze, to know that her allies wouldn’t bother her for the rest of the day.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>However, she was suddenly stopped by a young, blue-haired man standing in front of her. “Ingrid? I thought you were in your room.” His face was solemn and had a tint of regret. He put his hand behind his back and waved, which didn’t go unnoticed by Ingrid.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked to where he waved and saw brown hair hiding behind a thick tree. The headache came back almost instantly. “What do you want, Caspar?” She was in no mood, and her own voice made her feel a little more pain, but at least she could blow him off and get on her way soon.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I came to apologize. Sylvain and Dimitri scolded me a while ago.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Apology accepted, now move--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“N-no! I-I mean… please, at least let me apologize properly, okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The situation seemed pointless, Ingrid told him it was okay. She just wanted to leave, so why did she have to stay there and listen to some half-assed apology? “...alright, just be quick about it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Umm… well…” Caspar stayed silent for a second before he screamed. “Argh! I don’t have anything, why did you guys make me stall her?” He turned to the tree. “Just come out already, she saw me wave anyway.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Two people emerged from behind the tree: Dorothea and Felix, the ones who had made fun of Ingrid before. “What are you guys doing here?” Asked Ingrid, rolling her eyes. If she was in a good mood when she was going to train, it was quite the opposite now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We came to, uh…” Felix couldn’t find the words, he looked to the side, ashamed and angrier than he usually seemed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ugh, Felix.” Dorothea rolled her eyes too. “We came to apologize to you, Ingrid, for what we said earlier ago. We didn’t mean to make you feel bad.” Dorothea was holding a big plate with a silver dome, while Felix had a small basket in his hand. Just what was everybody up to?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Like I told Caspar, apology accepted,” she replied, her tone sounding so tired of everything. “Now, if you all would excuse me, I was on my way to train.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Felix replied to that with apparently the only words he knew, “oh, I’ll join--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Though he was interrupted by Dorothea elbowing him in the ribs. “Shut up!” She turned to Ingrid afterwards. “Please, could you join us for a moment? We didn’t realize we hurt you so much until Dimitri and Sylvain almost beat it into our skulls.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, that Dimitri really has a lot of strength.” Caspar scratched the back of his head as if to simulate a real injury.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I suppose I can, only for a moment, though,” Ingrid replied, shifting the weight into her other leg. Although the four of them knew that Ingrid got injured, she didn’t want to seem too bothered by it, though she could really use the rest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Felix gestured further into the small patch of woods. “We brought picnic supplies, Mercedes’ idea.” He walked, hoping everybody would follow suit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ingrid was about to take a step, but Caspar stood next to her. He grabbed her arm to support her weight on him. “I brought some vulneraries too.” His smile was so kind, it almost made Ingrid tear up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everybody walked to the place Felix mentioned and sat after he placed the blanket on the ground. They got the stuff out, there were some drinks and tea, as well as some small bandages and cloth, probably to clean Ingrid’s wounds.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ingrid gestured at what Dorothea had in her hands. The delicious smell of food was beginning to reach her nose. “What’s on that plate?” she asked the songstress.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ll be delighted to know that Dedue made some chicken nuggets for all of us.” She giggled as she lifted the dome, the nuggets smelled so good that it was unbearable. “We asked him if he wanted to come too since he made the food, but I think you’re persona non grata to him right now.” That was another problem, but she would deal with that later.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll be sure to thank him later!” She reached for a piece of food, immediately chomping on it. It tasted so good that she teared up. Maybe it was because of her injuries making her focus more on the flavor, but she was sure those were the most delicious chicken nuggets she ever ate.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, yeah, we came to apologize to you, Ingrid. We didn’t realize what we were saying. You’re really strong, and I think wanting to be a knight is not an impossible dream.” Caspar’s words were really sweet, and despite him saying she would never amount to Catherine really hurt when he said it, she really believed him now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Strong, but reckless,” commented Felix after finishing a piece. “But I respect that, Ingrid, you’ve… saved us many times where we would’ve died.” There was a moment in which Felix remained silent, his eyes closed. He was reminiscing of his past and his brother. “Glenn would be proud of you.” Who knows if what he was saying was absolutely true, if he really meant it, but Ingrid wouldn’t dare question it. It was such an honor to think her late fiancée would be proud.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lastly, it was Dorothea’s turn to speak. She grabbed Ingrid’s hand softly. “And I believe that what I said was wrong as well. I should never have mentioned you should leave your dreams for make-up and other stuff. We all have our preferences and it was rude of me to decide for you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everything made her feel so much better, both physically and emotionally. Her friends truly supported her, they wanted her to become a knight. That was everything Ingrid could ask for, the support of her friends to keep going and continue growing strong to defend everything she held dear, to restore the honor of her house.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Yes, she could do it, she had her path set for her, and nobody could ever make her waver.</span>
</p>
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